Further Reading

Post-launch downloadable content (DLC) has become almost standard for any kind of big-budget, epic adventure game these days. Nintendo's popular Zelda series has resisted this trend until now, as the company announced today that Breath of the Wild will see two DLC packs released later this year.

The packs, sold together in a bundle for $19.99, will be released in the summer and the holiday season. Those who purchase them starting on March 3, however, will get instant access to three in-game treasure chests that contain "useful items" and "exclusive in-game clothing."

The Summer DLC pack contains a number of gameplay features that some may think should have been part of the base package, including: a "Cave of Trials" challenge mode; a more difficult "Hard mode"; and an amorphous "additional map feature." The holiday season DLC pack fits closer to the usual expectations for this kind of post-launch DLC, including a new original story, new dungeon, and "additional challenges."

"With this additional content, we'd like to give even seasoned Hyrule explorers something new and fun." Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said in a video announcement. "The world of Hyrule awaits, and we hope the main game and additional content provide you with a place to play, explore, and enjoy for a long time."

Further Reading

While DLC is a first for the core line of Zelda adventures, recent spinoffs Hyrule Warriors and Triforce Heroes included post-launch DLC. Nintendo also released additional tracks, characters, and difficulty modes as DLC for Mario Kart 8 in 2014, a first for that series.

Kyle Orland
Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in the Washington, DC area. Emailkyle.orland@arstechnica.com//Twitter@KyleOrl